Oh No, There Goes My Halo
by MyIncentive
Summary: A flashfic collection of the pair Aerith and Sephiroth with a side serving of good ol' Zack, ranging from their childhood days to postKH2 events. #06. meetings and greetings
1. fellow denizen come back home

**Oh No, There Goes My Halo**

**Summary: **Flashfic of the pair Aerith and Sephiroth, ranging from their childhood days to postKH2 events. #01. fellow denizen; come back home

**Disclaimer: **Sephiroth, Aerith and all other characters mentioned in this fic solely belong to Square Enix and Disney.

**A/N: **Too long to be a drabble; too random to be a story. This is just going to be a compilation of sorts, whenever I want to take a break from my other fics and just do some random AerithxSephiroth minishots. (Don't worry, I'm still working on my other fics! I haven't forgotten.)

I swear this one wasn't supposed to come out this long. Brevity just isn't my forte. Takes place during the events of KH1.

Rated K for now.

* * *

_#01. __fellow denizen; come back home_

"That's right. The Keyblade." Aerith was perched on the edge of the bed, hands resting on her lap. "Would you like to see the one who wields the Keyblade?"

Goofy and Donald turned to her, ecstatic. "You know where the Keyblade wielder is?" the shorter of the two asked eagerly. Aerith nodded and stood to her feet.

"Follow me, please."

They were in the Second District Hotel. Aerith was aware that the Keyblade wielder – Sora, if she heard correctly at the time – was presently being fed the same information from Yuffie and Leon that she had just previously parted with to the King's two faithful followers.

The Heartless were coming. Every world that hadn't already been taken by the darkness was in danger. Their future was looking bleak, and with every second of delaying the highly anticipated meeting between Donald and Goofy and the key bearer, it was looking bleaker. No doubt Yuffie and Leon were currently waiting for her to bring the two into the room next-door.

"Just through there," Aerith said, gesturing Donald and Goofy to go through the door in front of them. Before Donald could grasp the door handle, it burst open out of its own accord, Yuffie shooting past. Without sparing a look into the room beyond or a thought for the new feathery décor that was in actuality Donald, Aerith cried out to her friend and raced after her.

Not surprisingly, she didn't get very far. Boots such as hers were extremely hard to run in, and by the time she set foot out of the hotel, there wasn't so much as a telltale flash of a butter coloured scarf to indicate of Yuffie's whereabouts. She had lost her.

Aerith was disposed to voice out a mildly displeasing curse. Turning her gaze up to the twinkling night sky, she saw another star go out. Another star, another world. A sudden movement in her peripheral vision gave reason for her to shift her gaze to the left, somewhere above the Gizmo shop. Whoever or whatever it was, had stilled in their actions, sinking back in the shadows. Strange.

_Yuffie –?_

Or maybe, Heartless. Biting her bottom lip worriedly, Aerith took a halfhearted step forward then glanced back uncertainly at the hotel. Should she instead get Leon? If things were to quickly get out of hand, wouldn't he be better suited to handle the situation? In an infinitesimal moment Aerith was torn between two choices she could act on: mind or instinct.

Lips thinning into a resolute expression, she marched ahead. The latter it most definitely was. Aerith wasn't a little girl anymore; she knew how to take care of herself, in spite of lacking a weapon. There was still one's wit, after all. And of course, one's magic.

With that in mind, Aerith soon found herself standing at the front entrance to the Gizmo Shop. Pressing her palm lightly on the door, it yielded to her touch and opened on contact, just as she had expected. Burglars were unheard of in Traverse Town, so naturally no one ever thought up of a reason to have their doors locked. Aerith walked inside.

As always when venturing forth into the Gizmo Shop, the first thing that came to mind was how astoundingly _bright _everything was. Her surroundings were so dazzling in its intensity Aerith had to rub at her eyes several times. She had to find the backdoor to this place. Candy coloured cogwheels met her at every turn she made, busily spinning away, adding to the general chorus of whirrs that filled her ears. She was still staring at one gigantic lilac cogwheel in particular when she bumped into something that had appeared in her way. Bouncing back, Aerith was met with a pair of glittering golden eyes. Eyes with no pupils.

_Heartless._

Sending the Heartless a stream of harmful spells, Aerith soon realised she wouldn't come out the victor of this battle; more and more Heartless were materialising around the first and her reserves of magic were fast depleting. Only the Keyblade was truly affective against these types of enemies. Dodging an oncoming counter spell sent flying her way, Aerith barreled past the exit doors and rushed onwards, almost straight into a wall. Dead end?

Nope. Spotting a ladder off to one side, Aerith made haste and climbed up the rungs, wondering how in the heck she was going to get back out through the Gizmo Shop unscathed. Oh well, she could think up of a solution later. Right now she had to find out who was up on the rooftop. She could only hope it was Yuffie.

Finally finding her feet on the landing, Aerith stepped cautiously forward, peering around a few nearby wooden crates. The whole area was cast in shadow from a neighbouring building, which wasn't making it easy for her to determine if there was, in fact, someone else up there with her.

"Yuffie – are you up here?"

Breathing. A slight exhalation. Okay, so someone was definitely up on the rooftop. Aerith took another step forward, deeper into the impenetrable darkness. She cocked her head to the side in a convincing show of curiosity, but her eyes belied her calm stance. She was scared, and it showed. It took all of her willpower to keep herself from running back to the ladder.

This person (if it even was a person) was not Yuffie, Aerith knew. Yet she was compelled to say something more, if only just to break the creepy silence.

"You're not... who are you?"

The stranger in the dark didn't dignify her with an answer, but instead shifted on his feet, faint sounds of fabric and possibly something else rustling. Out from the darkness fluttered several small black objects. Aerith couldn't help herself; letting out a small gasp she jumped backwards before realising what they were. Closely she held one she caught up to her eyes.

A feather.

Hearing the sound of movement, Aerith slowly lowered the feather from her face to see the stranger approach her, and finally she could see him under the full light of the stars shining over them.

"Dear heavens above..." Aerith whispered. She was totally and utterly transfixed by the sight before her.

The man had a wing, just like Cloud. _Just like Cloud._

And he was staring at her.

_Say something, say something!_

But the man beat her to the punch. "There's no Yuffie here."

"N-no," Aerith agreed. It took quite some effort to get her jaw working properly again.

"Why have you come up here?"

"I'm looking for a friend." Aerith paused. "I could ask of you the same."

In response the man lifted his gaze upward; Aerith mimicked him. Thousands of worlds, visible as only tiny specks of light, were winking out of existence one by one. It was truly disheartening.

"The work of the Heartless," the man said. His gaze transferred back onto Aerith but hers remained focused upon the sky, despite being very aware of their proximity. The stranger's presence invoked memories of years past, of a place she longed for and had almost forgotten about.

"I wonder if... our homeworld's still out there."

If there was one thing that Aerith was absolutely certain of, it was the deep-seated sense of familiarity about this man that pricked at the edges of her consciousness, the faint yet undeniable recognition of a fellow Radiant Garden denizen. It may have seemed silly to some, mayhap even downright ludicrous, but everyone who hailed from the once peaceful kingdom shared a connection, one that outsiders could never understand. This man had that connection, however weak it was.

If he was surprised by her assumption in saying 'our' instead of 'my', he didn't show it. Looking back down at the man, Aerith took careful note of his detached demeanor; his crossed arms, distant gaze and the wing that loomed over his frame in such a way that it was reminiscent of a shield, closing him off to the rest of the world. An outcast. He was an outcast, forsaken by the light, by his homeworld, by everyone else. Profound sadness was nowhere near to what she felt for this man.

"Why haven't I seen you before here... sir?" she asked, not forgetting her manners. A stranger he still was, and she should do best to remember that. She still didn't even know his name.

"I've been to many worlds. Never do I intend to stay long."

The tone in the man's voice was far from friendly, yet it wasn't exactly hostile either. Aerith took a guess that this man was not one for conversations – that was to say, if he had ever engaged in one before.

"So you'll be leaving Traverse Town soon, too?"

An almost imperceptible nod.

"If..." Now Aerith hesitated. She was glad to know that here was yet another survivor that escaped their homeworld when the Heartless invaded and took over; there were so few of them as it were. But having just met him, she was quite disappointed in finding out that he was planning to leave. He was another link to her world, just like Yuffie and Leon were, Cloud and Cid and Merlin. She didn't want to lose this newly acquired link. "...If Radiant Garden is to be recovered again, will you come back – come back home?"

Something flashed behind the man's eyes. Before Aerith could discern as to what it was, an outbreak of steadily rising voices stole both of their attention. Down below were Leon and Yuffie, talking. Aerith then remembered her whole purpose for being up on the rooftop of the Gizmo Shop; it looked like Leon had found Yuffie first. Yuffie appeared to be okay. _Great! _Aerith thought happily, _I can tell them about this man, that he's one of us._ She called out to them, waving.

"Leon! Yuffie! Up here!"

Both of her friends whipped their heads up to see her. "What are you doin' up there, Aerith?" Yuffie exclaimed loudly. "You know there are Heartless everywhere."

"Hold on – I'll come get you," Leon shouted, and started towards the Gizmo Shop.

"Wait guys! I have someone here who you should see – his name is –" Aerith stopped and turned around.

"I'm sorry, but I didn't get..."

In the man's place was a whirlwind of black feathers.

"...your name."

* * *

**A/N: **Happy (late, very late) V-day! 

MInc


	2. two's company, three's a start

**Oh No, There Goes My Halo**

**Disclaimer: **Sephiroth, Aerith and all other characters mentioned in this fic solely belong to Square Enix and Disney.

**A/N: **Another long one, whoops.

Changed the rating to T now. Because as they say, T for Safety.

* * *

_#02. two's company, three's a start_

Rain was coming down in the form of drizzle. Clouds hung dangerously low over the land, a dark reflection of the mist that had engulfed the town. It was midday, but the sun was nowhere to be seen, as had been the case for the past several days. The atmosphere was cold and gloomy, and it clung to Radiant Garden with clammy fingers. Yet it was business as usual for the townsfolk living there, one boy in particular who was making his way to the castle gates, taking meticulous care to hop over the puddles that riddled the pathways. With hands shoved deep in his pockets for warmth, the boy gave all other passersby a wide berth, head down at all times. It was only when he arrived at his destination did he look up.

"Gee Storm – take your time why don'tcha?" The boy known as Storm shrugged.

"Did you make sure to lose any followers?"

Storm nodded. "No followers." His friend grinned.

"Good. Wouldn't want any snoops finding out about our secret hideout. What a cartastophy that would be!"

"_Ca_-tas-_tro_-phe, Chip," Storm corrected, shaking his head at his friend. Like every other day, they had arranged to meet up and go to their hideout, a place called the Waterway, which was an underground water maze that was located directly underneath the castle of Radiant Garden. Many passageways and chambers were laid hidden in there, and the two boys felt that it was their mission in life to discover every single one of them; it wasn't like there was that much else to do in the town.

"All righty then. Let's g–" Chip broke off mid-sentence, eyes peering over Storm's shoulder.

"Huh?" He looked back at Storm and gave him an indignant look. "You said no followers!"

Confused, Storm whirled around and saw through the misty drizzle a girl standing a few paces away. Noticing that she had their attention, the girl skipped forward, a big bright smile adorning her face. "Hi," she chirped.

Storm and his friend shared a look before turning back to the girl. "Sorry," Chip said rather brusquely, not sounding sorry in the least, "but we don't talk to girls."

"Why ever not?" the girl asked, looking surprised.

"Because," Storm said.

"Because why?"

"Because girls aren't boys, and boys are the best – everybody knows that! 'Sides, girls are all giggly and wear lots of pink, like you do." The girl giggled.

"Aha! Exactly my point!" Chip shouted, pointing at her dramatically. He turned to stride past the gate. "C'mon, Storm, let's just go, where there aren't any _girls _around." Without so much as a wave or an apologetic smile, Storm spun on his heels and did the same, walking in step with his friend. As to be expected, the sound of hurried footsteps chased after them.

"Wait! I wanna come too!"

Chip rolled his eyes. "Looks like it's time for plan B," he whispered to Storm. Storm nodded in agreement and halted in his steps. He glanced back to find the girl almost running straight into him; in her haste she realised too late that they had stopped and tripped over her footing, landing on the damp dirt with a yelp.

Storm stared down at her, a sneer itching at the corners of his mouth. "Fine," he said, ignoring the snickers coming from Chip and the hurt look in her eyes, "you can come..."

In less time than it took to blink, both he and Chip were off and running, laughing madly.

"...if you can catch us first!"

They left the girl to pick herself up and stumble slowly after them. Victory was theirs; there was no way she was going to catch up with them, which in simple terms meant for them was that she was also never going to find their hideout. Keeping to the fortified walls of the kingdom, Storm and Chip soon came upon a sharp downward incline, leading down into a misty chasm. They leapt from ledge to ledge until they reached the bottom where the entrance to the Waterway laid in front of them. Both Storm and Chip jumped in the water. If there was one downside to having the Waterway as a hideout, it was that to enter it, one had to _swim_ underneath the barriers created to deter intruders, possibly little boys such as them. However to Storm and Chip, it wasn't so much a downside as rather a plus, for who didn't like the chance to swim in a place where there were no beaches, no pools? To their lament, the last few days had proven very much otherwise.

"Kinda cold down here, isn't it?" Chip said as he watched Storm resurface on the other side of the barrier, shaking the water from his face.

"What are you – a _girl_?" Storm called back at him. In response Chip blew a raspberry and dived under, yanking on Storm's leg as he swam past. And that's how it went for the while: the two boys playing games and tricks on each other in the water maze until the chill of the water pushed them to advance further onwards, to find dry ground. It wasn't long until they found their favourite resting point; a dungeon-like area they had discovered on the first day they had journeyed into the Waterway.

Dragging themselves out, Storm and Chip collapsed against the bare stone wall, hardly caring of the puddle trail they made.

"So, feel like you're up to some more exploring today?" Chip inquired, teeth clattering a little. He turned to look at Storm, who had his knees propped up under his chin.

"Not really."

"Yeah, me too." Picking at a crack on the ground, he added, "Haven't seen that girl around before. She must be new here. What do you think of her, Storm?"

"I... what?" Storm was rubbing his arms in hope of keeping the chill at bay; he hadn't really been paying attention to what Chip said.

"Do you think she's pretty?"

"_What?_" The girl. He must have been talking about the girl. Well, she had a pair of arms and legs, two eyes, some hair, which may or may not have been tied in a pigtail. There was nothing special about that. Or pretty.

"Uhh," Storm began, "you do remember that she's a girl, right?"

"Course." Chip was staring fixedly at the ground.

"Your cheeks are red."

Chip clapped his hands to his face. "Are not!"

Storm laughed. "Are too."

"Are –" Chip's retort was punctuated by a distant splash. "...what was that?"

Chip got up, and so did Storm. "Dunno. I think we should check it out, but." They hurried over to the water's edge, straining their eyes for any sight of movement down ahead in the channel. There was something bobbing wildly in the water. Chip's jaw dropped. "Isn't that..." He looked to Storm who had already jumped in the water, giving Chip a good soaking in the process.

"C'mon!"

They were racing against time to save the girl who had followed them all the way into the Waterway. How she had gotten in so far in the first place was anybody's guess. Taking in the deepest breath of air he could hold, Storm plunged underwater, legs kicking into action. All at once it became a silent world. Keeping his eyes open Storm saw somewhere up ahead the girl, struggling to keep her head above the water. Streams of bubbles swirled around her, trailing limbs that erratically continued to break the surface then slip back under again. At the rate she was going, jerking about and thrashing around like that, she was going to tire herself out – and fast. _Girls_, Storm thought.

In truth though, Storm was more than a little afraid. He knew everyone would blame him and Chip if she drowned. No one would care about the fact that she chose to come follow them, oh no. He could just see it now: the girl would drown, punishment would be in order, and then Ansem the Wise, ruler of Radiant Garden, would banish them from the kingdom.

But that wasn't going to happen. They were going to save her.

Or die trying.

Breaking for air one last time, Storm dived down, while Chip was still gasping for breath. The girl had long since stilled in her movements; she was sinking, eyes closed, the last few bubbles escaping from her mouth.

One could have already mistaken her for being dead.

Arms stretching out to their fullest extent, Storm took a hold of and pulled on the only thing that was in reach: her pigtail.

The girl's eyes immediately shot open, scaring Storm into letting go. Her mouth opened in a silent scream, and he couldn't help but inwardly wince at the thought of having his hair pulled on, even in a life or death situation. He didn't have to worry about the thought for much longer, however, when the girl's nails came into contact with his arm. Given his turn to scream soundlessly under water, Storm instinctively tried to pull himself from her grasp; instead, he managed to pull both of them up to the surface.

Never in his life had he been so grateful for having oxygen restored back into his lungs. Gasping loudly, Storm barely registered the joyous whoops coming from Chip, nor the arms that clung excruciatingly tight around his back. He was just happy to be alive.

"Aww yuck, she's coughing water all over your back, Storm," Chip said, swimming over to them.

"Doesn't matter," Storm rasped, "just-just take her... carry her... I can't hold out much longer." He was past exhausted. The dive had taken its toll on him.

"Okay," Chip said, turning his back to the girl. "Hop on."

The girl wailed and clung tighter to Storm. "No! I can't let go! I don't wanna drown again!"

"Sorry Storm," Chip said to him, shrugging, "but she doesn't want to." Storm sighed, but he wasn't entirely surprised or annoyed by the girl's answer. He supposed it was only natural for the girl to feel scared at the prospect of not having something solid – like him – to hold onto, even for a brief period of time. He was her lifeline, the only thing that was currently keeping her aloft.

"So where to now? Should we go back out of the Waterway?"

Storm nodded. Once upon reaching dry, flat earth again (going under the barrier had been quite a suffocating affair for Storm), the girl instantly released him. Bemused, both Storm and Chip watched the girl jump up and down in joy, peals of laughter resounding across the chasm.

"So what are we going to do tomorrow?" she asked them, a little breathlessly. She was drenched, her dress was ruined and her pigtail in disarray – but she still had the same smile from before, only wider. It seemed that near death experiences made for a grand adventure. The two boys stared at her in disbelief.

Chip was the first one to regain use of his tongue. "We? _We_? I'm sorry but "we" aren't going to be doing anything tomorrow. Me and him," he said, pointing at Storm, "are coming here tomorrow."

The girl's smile wavered. "B-but you said I could come if I caught you guys – and I did!"

Chip scoffed. "No you didn't."

"She did find out our secret hideout, but, Chip," Storm pointed out. He smirked knowingly at him. "Besides, you're the one who thinks she's pretty."

"I never said that!"

"You were thinking it."

"You think I'm pretty?" the girl questioned Chip, fluttering her eyelashes. Chip looked away muttering as Storm laughed.

"Hmm, you know, I didn't get to introduce myself properly before. I'm Aerith." Aerith beamed at them, going so far as to do a little curtsy.

"Nice to meet... umm..."

"Chip and Storm," Chip answered quickly, evidently glad for a change of topic.

"Really? What funny names," Aerith said.

"Well duh. It's our code names. Mine's short for chipper, which is what my Mum calls me." Chip puffed out his chest in pride. "Storm is Storm because that's what the colour his hair's of: of storms. Smart, right?"

Aerith scrutinized Storm closely, making him feel slightly uncomfortable. He cast his eyes to the ground. "Very," she giggled. "But what are your real names? I would really like to know."

"Zack," Chip said. He nodded his head in Storm's direction. "And he's –"

"Sephiroth," Storm, a.k.a. Sephiroth, interrupted, "my name's Sephiroth." He took a step forward, his hand out to Aerith. The crescent marks from her nails were still clearly visible on his arm, but his eyes were reserved solely for hers. Tentatively Aerith placed her hand in his, her smile slowly broadening as he shook it. "Nice to meet you, too."

Little did any of the three know at the time that they were soon to become the best of friends, and it would be that friendship, which would forever have the greatest impact on their lives.

* * *

**A/N: **Sorry if some found the start of that confusing, but you know how it is with little kids and their nick names and code names and the like. And yes, Zack's in here too! I couldn't resist. So expect some more of "Chip" in the future, as he's probably going to be kind of prevalent in this fic. (Hope everyone's all right with that.) 


	3. one of its own

**Oh No, There Goes My Halo**

**Disclaimer: **Sephiroth, Aerith and all other characters mentioned in this fic solely belong to Square Enix and Disney.

**A/N: **This is so much fun. My fastest updated fic to date.

* * *

_#03. one of its own_

He should have never came back.

It was a pathetic idea, a pitiful idea, stemming from the thread of hope that was coiled around the last vestiges of his humanity. How naïve he was, to think that he'd be welcome back, like some lost little child running back into the arms of his joyful family. _You fool._

With bitter detachment the man surveyed Radiant Garden from afar, his silver streamlined hair weaving intricate patterns in the wind. He cursed the one who authorised the use of a defense mechanism as protection for the kingdom, seeking out those with no pure heart, no light, no soul.

_Damn _that person.

From the instant Sephiroth took one wary step past the crumbling walls of his once beloved home, the first time in so, so many years, he had unknowingly activated Radiant Garden's defenses. Before he knew it, he was ejected out of the kingdom. Just like that. Had he a whole heart, off would go another dusty layer of spent conviction and hurt feelings.

How could Radiant Garden have shunned him like that? Was he not one of its own? Like the others...?

No, he bitterly supposed. Not anymore. He wasn't like them, like the others. The difference lied with the light – of which he had none.

Feeling only the tiniest bit of remorse, Sephiroth turned away. He should have never came back.

Even if it was only because he had wanted to see her.


	4. a healer's touch

**Oh No, There Goes My Halo**

**Disclaimer: **Sephiroth, Aerith and all other characters mentioned in this fic solely belong to Square Enix and Disney.

**A/N: **Not as long as I hoped it would turn out to be, unfortunately. Thanks to **m o o g l e d a i m e **for the awesome idea (couldn't really remember everything about the battle of the thousand Heartless, so I made up a few things as I went along, heh heh, sorry) and **J-Croc **for telling me to update faster. And of course, to all my reviewers and readers. Feedback ish love, guys!

* * *

_#04. a healer's touch_

Heartless, swarming everywhere. Hundreds upon hundreds of them, sprouting from every crack, every crevice, a matt black descent intent of taking everything down in their wake. Sephiroth was surrounded on all sides and for every kill he made, three more Heartless would take its place, their feelers erect in anticipation of an inevitable victory. Several hours into the fight and the swordsman could feel exhaustion creeping up on him. No longer was his blade able to complete its infamous arcs of death, sweeping effortlessly through its prey. No longer was he able to dodge the simultaneous attacks mounted against him, claws ripping away, eyes gleaming with malevolence. No longer did he move with the grace and ease of a warrior.

There was a very real possibility that he wasn't going to come out of the battle alive, much less the victor. Forget winning: now was the time to make a retreat, while there was still a chance. Oppose to what many Sephiroth would have believe, even one such as he hadn't the power to thwart death.

Crouching down and bracing himself, Sephiroth allowed the Heartless to envelop him, like the last dot of brightness on a painter's canvas finally brushed over. Just when he thought he might actually lose himself forever underneath the swarm, his legs forced him upward, breaking through the black barrier as his lone wing propelled him up into the air. Desperately the Heartless lunged upwards as well, one succeeding in latching onto his right calf. A second grabbed onto the first, then a third onto the second, creating a chain of black bodies attempting to drag him back down. Sephiroth struggled to gain more height, trying and failing to kick the relentless creatures off. There was a small moment of hesitation before he speared the first Heartless through with Masamune, letting them topple down over each other as he made good of his escape.

He knew he couldn't last long in the current state he was in. He had to find higher ground, perhaps near the kingdom where the _others _were. Hopefully they would have cleared some ground, most likely thanks to that keyblade wielder and his ridiculous looking sidekicks. Swooping over a jagged line of cliffs Sephiroth could make out in the distance the very three doing just as he suspected, fending off the Heartless alongside the _others_, one of them being Cloud Strife.

Forgoing any further thoughts, Sephiroth flew safely past them unseen. Soon he came across a grotto, perhaps a bit too close to the kingdom for comfort, but just as well as he suddenly found himself descending with great speed, his body sapped of energy and no longer able to support itself. Sephiroth crashed down none too gracefully, receiving a concussion to the head due to the impact.

Knocked out, he didn't even had the time to realise he was lying halfway out in the open of the grotto's entrance.

- - - - -

"Oh... do... have here?"

A jumble of cheery words traveled deep down into the depths of Sephiroth's awareness, pulling him back to a painful semi-conscious state. Still slightly delirious, he could vaguely sense the presence of another person somewhere nearby. He made to open his eyes, barely recognising the dark silhouette of a woman before turning away, groaning. The pain he felt was extraordinary, like a thousand needles embedded in his skull.

"Don't be... that... I... you."

Sephiroth couldn't make sense of what the woman was saying, so it was sufficient to say he was more than a little alarmed when she placed her hand over his shoulder.

"It's okay."

He could feel her gaze roaming over him, appraising. Small hands deftly prodded, poked and squeezed, working over places such as his ribs, abdomen and jaw line. He surmised that she was assessing for any injuries, alerting him to new sores and aches even he wasn't aware of. When she finally reached his head, he rewarded her with a long, drawn-out hiss.

"Hmm."

Sephiroth dimly wondered what the woman was going to do next when he suddenly found himself being lifted up by arms that were hooked under his own. The movement triggered another wave of pain, making him see stars. He went limp in her arms. Her voice was faint. "...might... a lot... better... after..."

A soft, green light encompassed Sephiroth's form, gathering at the points of his injuries. For one blissful moment there was nothing but numbness, shattered after his body underwent a sensation of being compressed to a pulp. Before Sephiroth could scream the sensation left him as quick as it had come, leaving him breathless but well recovered.

"I'd advise you to leave your eyes closed for the while, as my healing powers have a tendency to temporarily distort the vision. An after-effect, you see."

The woman's voice came from directly above him, and it was with no small amount of discomfort that Sephiroth realised his head and torso were draped across her lap. Immediately he made to rise but felt her hands clamp him in place. "Let me help you do that."

Raising both of them to their feet, the woman slowly guided the blind swordsman forward until he came into contact with the grotto wall, allowing him to adjust his body to lean against its surface. The ridiculousness of the situation failed to amuse him; having his pride and independence taken away by a mere woman and her magics was rather more demeaning than he could have ever imagined.

"Feeling better now?"

"Much, yes," Sephiroth replied, a little sourly. He thought it was probably worthy to note she was yet to let go of his arm.

A long, awkward silence ensued. Sephiroth was relieved the woman didn't take this time to inundate him with prickly questions, as he expected her to do. Instead, she spoke of something far more surprising.

"You know, when I first saw you I thought you looked familiar. Now I understand why that is so – you were the man on top of the Gizmo Shop, back in Traverse Town."

Sephiroth stiffened. Then that meant –

Sephiroth cringed and covered his sensitive eyes as the glare of the light assaulted them.

"I told you it was better not to open your eyes."

He turned his back to the source of the voice, a trace of shame evident in his features. The woman laughed.

"Why don't you come with me to Radiant Garden, I have a vial of eye drops that could help with..." Her voice trailed away as Sephiroth shook his head.

"I cannot."

Her response was tinged with clear disappointment. "Oh. Okay." Sephiroth felt a light pressure on his arm and reflexively turned his head to the side. Through his screen of silver hair he could once again make out an outline of the woman, just so. His vision was slowly coming back.

"I should take my leave," the woman said reluctantly, "the after-effect will wear off soon, in any case. Will you be all right?"

"Yes. Thank you." And he meant it. She gave his arm a barely noticeable squeeze before leaving the grotto, footsteps dying away.

* * *

**A/N: **Aerith the closet pervert, feeling up men whenever they're at their weakest, bwahaha. 


	5. compromising rainbows

**Oh No, There Goes My Halo**

**Disclaimer: **Sephiroth, Aerith and all other characters mentioned in this fic solely belong to Square Enix and Disney.

**A/N: **I realised there wasn't that much humour in the others, so I tried to make up for this with flashfic #05. Now I have to tell you, this one _kind of _deserves the T rating, depending on your perspective. I think. 

* * *

_#05. compromising rainbows_

"This sucks."

Storm murmured in agreement. Both turned away from their secret hideout, dismayed to find that after a week's worth of rain the Waterway had finally been submerged under. Even the chasm, once bone-dry, resembled something of a lagoon. Chip looked back mournfully. "Maybe we could just go for a dip in the water, as in really quick-like." Storm gave him a long, unenthused look.

"O-_kay _then, we won't. Jeez." 

Chip sighed loudly, producing a visible puff of air. The sky was a deep, ominous gray, threatening to drown the kingdom further in rain. They were as of yet to be so lucky. Slowly the two boys trudged off back to the kingdom gates, where they found the girl they rescued from before standing there, watching them. One could have guessed she had been waiting there the whole time.

"You again," Chip said, eyeing her suspiciously, though Storm noticed his walk had instantly turned into some sort of bizarre strut. He turned away and coughed. 

"Why, good morning to you too, mister grouchy," the girl – Aerith Storm remembered her calling herself – replied. Her gaze wandered sternly over both him and Chip. "Why didn't you guys wait for me? I wanted to go to the hideout as well, you know!"

"You can't. It's flooded," Storm said, somberly nodding his head as Aerith gasped. "There's no way we can get in there."

"Really? Aww, but I really like that place. It was so much fun last time." Chip found this a fine, opportunistic moment to snort. "So what are we gonna do now?" she pressed. Chip was about to open his mouth to disagree on her choice of wording but Storm immediately cut him off.

"Remember what we agreed to," he reminded him, "now that she knows about our hideout, she's one of us now."

Giggling delightedly at Chip's face, Aerith poked her tongue out at him. "Yeah Zack, I'm one of you guys now."

"The name is Chip, you got that? Chip! C-h-i-p-p!"

"Uh, it's one 'p', Chip."

"One p!" Chip corrected himself, looking flustered.

Aerith turned to look at Storm with a hopeful expression on her face. "Does this mean I get a codename too?" 

Storm crossed his arms in a sudden turn of going all business-like. "Yes" – Aerith made a little whoop of joy, hopping up and down excitedly – "but _first_, you have to acknowledge the Terms of the Pact."

"Pact? What's a Pact?" 

Storm turned to Chip. "Do you have the paper on you?" Aerith watched bemusedly as Chip scrounged in his back pockets, pulling out a ragged piece of paper. Grinning sheepishly, he handed the paper to Storm, who was less than impressed.

"Had to rescue it after mum put my pants in the wash." 

Storm took the paper, straightened out the folds as best as he could, held it close to his face and read: "The Official Terms of the Pact dictate that all members of the group founded by Zack and I, Sephiroth, known to all outsiders as Chip and Storm respectively, must adhere to the following –"

"I don't see anything on the paper," Aerith interrupted, who had sidled to Storm's side without him having realised. Storm shifted his gaze to glare at her before turning away, effectively hiding the contents of the paper. 

"Writing's probably been washed off but it doesn't matter; he's got the whole thing memorised anyway," Chip whispered to her. Aerith shaped her mouth into an 'o' of understanding. She whispered back, "But how can he remember all that stuff?" 

"Dunno really, he's just weird like that."

"How many members are in this group?"

"So far, just us three. Storm's really fussy when it comes to new –"

"Number _one_: all matters that occur in the group must stay within the group," Storm continued over the voices of his companions, "this includes information about marked locations of our territories, i.e. our secret hideout; all manners of affairs and activities that transpire; all plans for future endeavours and missions we'll undertake, as well as information concerning future meetings; et cetera et cetera et cetera. Any questions on that?" He tapped his foot expectantly, inclining his ear towards their newest recruit. In truth Aerith hadn't understood a word of what Storm said – where'd he learn all those big words from? – and she was about to tell him so until she spotted Chip cupping his hands and mouthing the word 'no' over Storm's shoulder; hastily she shook her head. Storm smiled.

"Good. You're sharper than I first thought. Even Chip here had trouble with that one, and I had to explain it to him word for word, the dummy. I see you're going to be a real asset to our group, Aerith."

Aerith let a nervous laugh escape her. Chip glared at Storm. 

Storm went on. "All right, number two: all members must abide by the instructions set forth by the founders of this group. Whatever we say goes. Did you comprehend that?"

"Commmpreeeehennnnnnd," Aerith repeated in a much slower voice, sounding out the word. She looked to Storm in confusion, who took it as an affirmative and nodded. 

"And lastly, number three: the founders reserve the right to boot out any members who breach these terms, or – in the plain words of Chip – 'are just sucky to hang around with'. This concludes the Official Terms of the Pact." Storm smartly rolled up the paper in his hands, despite half of it crumbling away to bits of papery dust and handed it back to Chip, who shoved it back into his pocket.

"Gosh, I hope I'm not a sucky person," Aerith said, chewing on her bottom lip worriedly. 

"Don't fret Aerith – _I_ don't think you're a sucky person," Chip said helpfully, a large change in attitude in the five minutes he and Storm had caught up with her again. "In fact I think you're going to be a great member, a great member who's really really great an-and nice and wonde–"

"Hold your moogles, Zack, she has to get a codename first," Storm snapped, accidentally letting slip his real name. Chip was so fickle with his feelings sometimes, it amazed him. It wasn't as if he could really impress the girl anyway... or could he? Did perchance she went for cheap flattery? Wondering where in the heck he was going with that particular train of thought, Storm turned his attention back to the matter at hand. "What kind of codename did you want for yourself, Aerith?" he asked her.

"Uhh, I haven't thought about it much yet, really," she admitted. "I kinda thought you two were going to decide for me."

"Ooooh, I know! I know!" Chip yelled, waving his arms excitedly in front of them. "Aerith, what does your mum call you besides your name?"

"My mum doesn't call me anything else but my name," Aerith replied. 

"Oh. Guess that idea's out then... hmm, what about naming yourself after the colour of your hair, like Storm did? Let's see, hair's kind of a brown-y colour – your codename could be Mud!"

Aerith fixed Chip with a petulant look. "I don't want that name."

"All righty then. How 'bout Tree Bark?"

"No."

"Chocolate Chip Cookie? Ha, you'll have my name in yours!"

Aerith's bottom lip trembled. Storm tried to intervene. "Ah Chip, I don't think she likes your –"

"Wait – Pooh! Y'know, like the story of Winnie the Pooh, you could be Aerith the Pooh! Eh? Eh?" He switched his bright gaze between the two, one looking apprehensive while the other appalled. Slowly the grin slipped off of Chip's face. "...What?"

Thunder cracked above as Aerith bawled and the sky released a torrent of rain over them. "Way to go Chip, now you have the whole world crying with her because of your stupid ideas," Storm remarked dryly. 

"What I say? What I _say_?"

Aerith whirled around and ran a short distance along the side of the kingdom walls, bending down to pick something up before running back to them. "My umbrella," she said, sniffling, "I brought it with me in case it was gonna rain." She struggled with the latch, small fingers fumbling. 

"I–I can't open it." She looked as if she was about to cry again, and so Storm swiftly offered his assistance. "Here."

With a flick the umbrella shot open. Quickly the three huddled underneath it. In the far off distance they could see people running for cover, some arming themselves against the rain with newspapers. A lone dog ran in circles barking, caught up in the rush of the moment. It seemed that no matter how many times it poured in Radiant Garden, the residents would always be caught in it unprepared, believing sunny days were sure to be just around the corner again. The brief silence between the three broke when Chip cleared his throat loudly.

"I'm sorry I made you cry, Aerith. I only wanted to help you pick a name."

"It's okay Za–I mean, Chip. I know you were only trying to be nice." Aerith sighed sadly. "But I still have no codename."

"Rainbow," Storm said suddenly. Both Chip and Aerith looked at him, bewildered. "What?"

"Look, a rainbow," he repeated, pointing up at the gray sky. "Can you see it?" Sure enough, just beyond the castle was a faint arc of many colours, shyly peeping between the clouds.

"Wow," Aerith breathed. "That's so pretty."

"Mm, yeah," Chip said with a lot less enthusiasm. He didn't really think much of such girly things like rainbows.

A joyous smile spread across Aerith's face. "I think I've decided what I want to call myself now." 

"Really, what?" Chip said obliviously.

"I want my codename to be Rainbow!" 

Storm shrugged impartially. Chip looked horror-struck. "What! Why would you wanna have a codename like that for?"

"I like it."

"But _I _don't!" he persisted, as if his opinion held the weight of a king's. "It's too girly! What kind of a group would we be if we had someone with the name of _Rainbow _in it?"

"A good group, that's what."

"But we'll be the laughingstock of the t-t-towwwwwn," Chip whined, stumbling over his last word. He and Aerith continued to argue over the name for a good long while until Storm heard him say something that sounded downright ridiculous.

"...such a long name! I mean, it's two whole civicballs long! Come on!"

"What did you just say, Chip?" Chip turned to face Storm.

"Huh?"

"That word." 

"What... civicballs?" Aerith snickered. Storm blinked. "That's not a word. I believe you meant 'syllables', correct?"

Chip scratched the back of his head. "It isn't? But Cloud told me that's how you say it..." He trailed off, muttering, "Dumb Cloud, gonna get 'im once I find him, gonna give him the worsest noogie of his life... hmm, I don't suppose 'indibitchual' is a word either, is it? Does sex mean sharing coloured pencils?" Storm sighed.

"I'm still going to keep the name Rainbow," Aerith said. Chip forgot his newfound grudge at once.

"No! You can't!"

"Yes I can."

"No!" 

"Yes!"

Storm lowered the umbrella. "NO!" both Chip and Aerith cried and shielded their heads, preparing to get drenched. 

"Not like you two realised, but the rain stopped a full five minutes ago." Chip and Aerith gazed around in wonder. Giving back the umbrella to its rightful owner Storm added, "As Chip takes a grievance to anything he regards as girly and you don't want to let go of the name, why don't you both just compromise?"

"Like how?" Chip said impatiently. 

"Shorten the name. Have it down to one _syllable_."

Aerith contemplated the idea, twirling her pigtail in her hand absentmindedly. "Okay then," she finally said, all smiles and bright eyes again, "why not? I kinda like that idea. From now on, I shall be known as... Bow! Short for Rainbow. Hey, it could also stand for the bows in my hair!"

Chip looked as if he was about to protest. One frosty look from Storm made him change his mind. "Sounds... great," he conceded in defeat. 

Eventually the three made their way back into the town section of Radiant Garden, Aerith skipping all the way. She couldn't wait to get home and tell her mother about the two boys and the new group she was in and the Pack thing she was told to follow, as well as the argument she had with Chip and the big words that she heard from Storm and the rainbow she saw. And she definitely wouldn't forget being called an asset by Storm. She would tell her about that as well. After of course, asking what it meant. Looking around to see how far back the other two were, she saw that Chip was muttering to himself while banging random things with a stick he had picked up along the way, whereas Storm was staring up at the sky, lost in thought. 

In Aerith's mind, no better companions existed anywhere else.

* * *

**A/N: **I admit little Sephiroth's a bit of a smart alec in this one. The last half of this chapter was inspired by pics linked to **Final Boss**'s profile. Check them out if you haven't already! 

…civicballs. :p


	6. meetings and greetings

**Oh No, There Goes My Halo**

**Disclaimer:** Sephiroth, Aerith and all other characters mentioned in this fic solely belong to Square Enix and Disney.

**A/N: **So much for having this done in a few days, huh. Lately my comp's been having spaz attacks on me and randomly shutting down, and I've lost bits of my work in the process. You can probably see my frustration shows in this one, as it's not as good as the others. The next one, #07., will go back to 'present time'.

* * *

_#06. meetings and greetings_

One minute, two minutes, three minutes passed. Maybe a bit more. Slowly Aerith's eyelids droop closed. The empty wicker basket that was held in her grasp slipped through her fingers, rolling away across the floor. There was a knock at the door.

Aerith mumbled under her breath, turning her head to face the other way. Her upper half was resting over a large, elegant looking dining table, her toes barely brushing with the ground from the high seat of her chair. As she slept on, a taller figure silently swept past her, briefly pausing to pick up the basket before heading for the door. The handle was pulled back to reveal two small boys arguing with each other, their little spat effectively cut off as both turned their gazes upward, at the woman who answered the door.

"Uh, hi," the shorter one said with a sheepish grin, "does, um, Aerith live here?"

The woman took a moment to regard them. "She does indeed. I take it you're Storm and Chip, yes?" They nodded. "I'm Mrs Gainsborough, Aerith's mother. Would you both like to come inside?" she asked.

"No thank you, ma'am," the taller one replied. "We'll just wait out here for her, if that's all right."

The woman smiled. "Why certainly. I'll just go fetch her now. Heaven knows she's been giddy with excitement, waiting by the clock all morning to go out and play with you two."

She left them by the doorstep, soft footsteps approaching her daughter's side. Her still form indicated she was still asleep. Gently Mrs Gainsborough prodded her shoulder. "Aerith, Aerith – time to wake up. They're here." Aerith shifted in her chair, her head rising to blearily meet her mother's gaze. "Huh? Wh-who..."­

"Your friends. They're outside waiting for you." In a flash Aerith was out of her chair and dashing past her mother, who still had her basket and was shaking her head, smiling. Aerith took a wild turn round the door, her enthused greetings cut short as she unexpectedly tripped over the doorstep and tumbled into the two boys. Together they rolled back, over the terrace and onto the grass.

Chip groaned. "My bum, oh my bum, it hurts..."

He continued to roll around in the grass, unaware of Storm rolling his eyes at him. Storm was propped up on his knees, brushing the dirt off his clothes. Aerith reached for a paper lying next to her, recognising it as the one she gave to Storm. It was a picture of where she lived, drawn and coloured to aid him and Chip in finding her house. "Did this help?" she asked.

Storm chose his words carefully. "Well, the house"– he took a long look at her drawing before gesturing at Aerith's home –"you definitely have a house."

"What you don't have, though," Chip added, snatching the picture from Aerith to scrutinise it up close, "are those rabbits, the flying 'm' things –"

"They're _birds_ –"

"– and a sun wearing sunglasses. Other than that, it was _very_ helpful."

Aerith had her hands on her hips. "You're lying. I don't think you think it was very helpful."

"I think you don't know what I'm thinking, no matter what you think or don't think," Chip said, placing his hands on his sides in the same manner as her.

"Aerith!" All three children turned to see Mrs Gainsborough standing by the door, holding the basket as well as a large sunflower hat in her hands. "Don't forget to go without these." Aerith skipped up the front steps to retrieve her wicker basket, allowing her mother to fit her favourite hat on for her. "There."

Mrs Gainsborough looked to where Storm and Chip were, noticing Storm's scuffed knees and Chip's hair. She finally turned back to Aerith, and saw a dirt patch marring the front of her dress.

"Did something happen here?"

"I tripped," Aerith said in an apologetic tone, looking down at her toes. Mrs Gainsborough didn't know how that could have resulted in the state the two boys were in but she decided not to enquire further.

"Oh no – my dress!" Aerith brought the hem of her frilly blue dress up to eye level, taking notice of the stain for the first time. She was going to inspect it further when it was suddenly smacked out of her hands.

"Aerith you silly girl," her mother scolded, "What did I say about lifting your dress up in public? Do you want your two friends to see your panties, hmm?"

Aerith blanched. "No! I, I..." She trailed off, quickly glancing at Chip and Storm. Chip's cheeks were puffed up, appearing as if he was about to burst. Storm was looking the other way.

"Good. And don't worry about the dirt on your dress, we can clean it off later when you come home. Now then," Mrs Gainsborough said, tapping the basket Aerith was holding. "In here are the chocolate cookies I had promised to bake for you and your friends, which you can all eat on the way. I expect you to be back here before sunset, and preferably not alone, so you'll have to ask _nicely_ if Storm and Chip are able to walk you home."

"Of course they will! They're my friends," Aerith said. She hugged her mother around the middle, hopping off the terrace to rejoin with the two boys afterwards.

Mrs Gainsborough waved after them, calling out, "It was nice to meet you, boys. Have fun." She retreated back into the house.

"All right, so where are we heading off to?" Storm asked. He was looking to Aerith, who was adjusting the sunflower hat on her head. "To the park," she answered. "It's not too far off, we just gotta cut through those houses up ahead and stick close to the kingdom walls. It'll lead us there."

Chip sniffed the air. "Hey, do you guys smell that?" He wandered closer to Aerith. "Something smells really good."

"You mean these?" Aerith showed her basket to him, letting him see the batch of fresh cookies inside. Chip smacked his lips, a delighted look overcoming his features.

"Yeah, that's it," he said. "Uh, you know, carrying that basket around must be pretty tiring... why don't you let me carry it for you?" He ignored the fact that they were still standing in front of her house, and were yet to start moving.

"Oh, um, okay." She handed him the basket, and off they went.

The layout of Aerith's neighbourhood was bizarre, to say the least. Many of the houses were clustered together, all facing in different directions. The area was on ground level, fenced in between the sky-scraping walls that divided the districts. As a result, most of the kingdom's lower class residents (those of higher status lived in the Borough, one district over) lived in perpetual shadow. The three manoeuvred their way around the quaint dwellings, keeping to the wall as much as they could. Whenever they passed other people, most of whom Aerith would instantly recognise, she'd give a brief hello and a wave, always receiving a greeting in return.

"You seem to know a lot of people," Storm commented. They had just walked by a young couple, shortly followed by an elderly woman and young girl. All knew Aerith's name.

"I like getting to know other people," Aerith replied.

"Why?"

"Why not? We all live in the same town. I see these people all the time."

"But you don't really know them."

"Doesn't mean I can't try," she countered, "Don't you know the people who live around you, you know, your neighbours? People you see everyday?"

Storm thought about it for a bit. "No, not really." Aerith gave him a look, one full of pity and bewilderment; it irritated him. "And I don't want too, either." His tone was just a touch snappy.

"It was only a question."

They walked in silence for a while until a loud burp sounded somewhere from behind. Turning around, they saw Chip shaking Aerith's basket to see if there was anything else inside.

"Chip!" Aerith cried, rushing back to take her basket from him. "I can't believe you ate all the cookies!"

"I know," Chip said sadly, "I really thought there was more than that in there. I'm still hungry."

"Good, because that makes two of us now," she huffed. She really had been looking forward to munching on her mother's homemade cookies. _Boys! _she thought. Angrily Aerith spun on her heels and marched ahead, brushing past Storm and putting distance between her and the two.

"You got on her bad side too, huh?" Chip asked Storm. He didn't reply.

Eventually the gateway to the park loomed in their sights. By this time the irritation-almost-anger that had nearly all but consumed Aerith dissipated, leaving her to feel relatively happy again. At the sound of two pairs of footsteps slowly, almost hesitantly catching up behind her, Aerith turned to face Storm and Chip. She announced in a cheerful voice, "We're here! Now we can finally get started!"

"Started?" Chip repeated dubiously. "Started on what? What's she talkin' about, Storm?"

Storm shrugged. Going to the park was Aerith's idea, after all. What had started as a simple suggestion from the girl back during the time she was still a recent addition to the group had evolved and became incorporated into their routine; basically, that each of them would have a turn every so often choosing where they'd spend the day and what to do. He could admit it was a welcome change – the Waterway had long lost its mysterious appeal, seeing as how the castle guards had finally caught on to their little 'adventures' in there and closed it off. Aerith brushed the last of the crumbs out of her basket.

"Silly," she drawled, "there's only one reason I'd bring the two of you along here." Neither boy could see the mischievous glint in her eyes obscured by the brim of her hat.

"Yeah? And what's that?" Chip prompted. Instead of replying, Aerith plucked a blue blossom from its bush nearby, briefly holding it up in the air between them before making a point of dropping it into the basket.

"No." The adamant response came from both of them, arms folded, with identical frowns on their faces. Aerith didn't feel deterred in the least. "_You_," she said, raising a finger at Chip who stared at it warily, "don't get a say 'cause you ate all my cookies. If you ever want to taste my mum's cookies again, you better do as I say." She rounded her words off with a seemingly sincere smile of sweetness. Chip looked stricken.

"I..." Chip sent Storm a desperate look, one that was returned with a steel gaze. Several silent but bizarre facial expressions later, Chip broke away from the staring match, shoulders slumped. "Where do you want me to start?" he asked Aerith, sighing. Storm mumbled under his breath, something that sounded a lot like "pathetic".

After Aerith directed Chip to a row of vibrant tulips, she turned back to Storm, the glint in her eyes still there. Storm unblinkingly tried to stare her down.

"You can't make me pick flowers. I'll never do it."

She merely smiled.

Five minutes later, Storm found himself reaching for a large petunia across from Chip, Aerith somewhere nearby. How did he get roped into this? "Look Storm – smell this pink one I found!" Storm pushed away the fourth flower Chip had tried to shove up under his nose, glaring at his friend. He had been so firm in his resolve, so sure that he'd never be swayed by her, and for a moment it really did look like it was going to work. Then, she had turned the tables on him, doing the worst thing any girl could do – she threatened to cry.

"Hey Storm, I think there's a bug in thi–OW!"

Just one step forward, basket clutched to her chest, impossibly bright green eyes meeting the intensity of his own and his resolve just crumbled away, like a chocolate cookie underneath a set of sharp teeth. That was all it took for him to surrender. Storm frowned to himself. Well, that and maybe because he felt just a _little _bad about snapping at her earlier.

"Hey, you two!"

Storm and Chip looked up, seeing a girl jog towards them. Flipping a stray brown curl over her shoulder, she said, "I'm looking for a boy with spiky hair. Have either of you seen him?" If she thought it was weird that two boys were busy picking flowers in a park, she didn't show it. Nevertheless, Storm kept his handful of flowers out of view.

"I have spiky hair." Chip pointed at his head.

The girl grinned. "Another boy with spiky hair – but yeah, you do kinda look like him." Eyes roaming over the park, she sighed. "Guess I'll keep looking, then." She left them to resume their flower picking.

"Wonder who she's looking for?" Chip mused. He took a whiff of the flower he was holding and sneezed. "Eugh, stuff's got dust in it."

Some moments later, Aerith returned with her basket, a variety of colourful flowers poking out. "I'm back! Now, let's see how many flowers you both picked." They showed her and she uttered a gleeful squeal at the amount they collected. "Can we stop now? My arms are hurting," Chip complained.

"Course you can," Aerith replied, carefully filling her basket with their flowers, "we've got lots anyway." Once done, she turned to face them, looking suddenly awkward. "Um, my mum says for me to ask if you guys can walk me home, and I told her you's would, so, um, will you guys walk me home... please?"

"Course we will," Chip said, grinning. Storm nodded.

Aerith giggled a little, straightening up and patting down her dress. She gave them a grateful smile. "Thanks." They made to leave when Chip suddenly gave a squawk of surprise and scuttled behind Storm's back, shouting and pointing at an area of bushes close by. "The flowers! Over there! There's something in the flowers _and it blinked at me!_"

"Calm down, Chip," Storm ordered, attempting to remove himself from the younger boy's hold as Aerith ventured forward, towards where Chip pointed at. "You know that flowers don't –"

"Hello?" Aerith bent down on her knees, peering through the leaves. The bush rustled back in reply.

She shrieked and almost tripped as she scurried backwards. "Behind me," Storm instructed, pulling her back. Slowly the eldest of the trio advanced closer to the source of the rustling noises.

"Come out – show yourself!"

Storm narrowed his eyes. Whatever or whoever was hiding in the bushes didn't comply. Big mistake. He pounced forward.

"Ahhhh!" Chip and Aerith heard the scream and waited with bated breath until a small boy was sent hurling out of the bushes, Storm emerging shortly after.

"C... Cloud?" Chip voiced weakly.

The boy groaned, pulling himself to his feet. "Z-Zack... why'd your psycho friend attacked me? I wasn't doing anything!" He rubbed his scalp, wincing.

Before anything else could have been said, a far off shout alerted all four; it was the girl Storm and Chip recognised from earlier. She approached the boy named Cloud.

"Ha – found you!" she exclaimed, poking him in the chest. Cloud sighed.

"Why were you hiding?" Aerith asked him curiously.

"Well, me and Tifa were playing hide-and-seek and I was winning until that wacko over there ruined it all." Cloud sent a glare at Storm. Storm glared back.

"So, I guess that makes _me_ the winner." The girl known as Tifa beamed.

"No way, you cheated Tifa – I know you were asking people if they've seen me and that ain't allowed in the game."

"So? There's a bazillion hiding places out here, Cloud. You know I'm not that good at seeking so I had to. It was either that or giving up and leaving you here in the park... alone." Chip, Aerith and Storm watched in bemusement as Cloud wailed and clung tightly to Tifa's arm. "No! You can't freakin' leave me here! Not with crazy-gray-haired-bush-attacking freaks like him around!" He pointed at Storm.

"Oh spare me," Storm muttered. In a much louder voice he said, "All right, we're off." He strode past the two, barely a second before Cloud yelled out and started hopping on the spot.

"HE STEPPED ON MY FOOT! HE STEPPED ON MY BLOODY FU–"

"Gotta wonder where he learns all those words from," Chip said as he and Aerith trailed after Storm, waving their farewells to the other two. Curses continued to fill the air. "Though I hear there's a man who lives on his street that likes to cuss a lot, maybe he learnt them from him." He shrugged at his own answer, looking over to Aerith who was still peering over her shoulder.

"Their names are Cloud and Tifa, right?" She sighed. "I didn't get a chance to meet them properly. They sound like nice people."

"Aww don't worry about it," Chip reassured her. "I'm sure we'll see 'em again soon enough."

"I hope so." Several paces ahead of them, a derisive snort sounded.

"Hey Storm, what's wrong?" Chip called out. He and Aerith caught up with him just as they exited the park through the gateway.

"Nothing."

"...You stepped on Cloud's foot on purpose, didn't you?"

Storm turned to face them and grinned. It was an act so rare it almost made him appear sinister. "Maybe."

* * *

**A/N: **Yeah, ending's weird, but I didn't know how to put a stop to it – it just wanted to keep going and going! Mm, and yeah, I used to draw my suns with shades, make them look hot and cool at the same time. (Bad joke, haha.)


End file.
